From Deseret News archives:
Get ready for rhyme time
They're clever and fun-loving, too.
And then they sent more.
Alas, we can just print a few!
Some say limericks were invented by soldiers returning from France to the Irish town of Limerick in the 1700s. Some trace them back to nursery rhymes of the 1400s. Some associate them with pubs and taverns. Shakespeare included them in plays such as "Othello" and "The Tempest." They were popularized by Edward Lear in his "Book of Nonsense," published in 1846.
Wherever they came from, limericks are meant to be fun — and that's exactly what we've had with our St. Patrick's Day Limerick Contest. We received a huge number of entries from people around the state — and even a few from outside the state and the country.
We asked for works with a Utah theme. And we got limericks that tell of our history. We got some that poke fun at our culture. We got lots that praise notable citizens. And others that take pot-shots at our political institutions. Foods, sports, scenery, businesses and more were turned into lilting rhymes.
Judging them was not easy. But our panel of judges had a lot of fun sorting through the piles and ccoming up with the winners. We hope you enjoy them, too.
So, thanks for sending them in.
Now, let this party begin:
Have a good laugh,
Like all of our staff.
Maybe, someday we'll do it again!
First place
Oh, look, it's a sad orange cone,
No wait, there's its brother,
And another, and another,
I'm surrounded, they're starting to clone.
—Jennifer A. Henderson, Springville
Second place
I was cookin' ribs back on the deck,
When I stumbled, and near broke my neck.
Since I've vowed ne'er to curse,
I said nothing worse,
Than, "Flip! What the scrud! Oh, my heck!"
—Don Milne, Bountiful
A high school dropout I knew,
Really wanted to wear "Cougar Blue."
But to his chagrin
He couldn't get in.
He had not learned to spell B Y U.
—Roy Walker, West Jordan
In good old sunny "St. Garge,"
The town where the livin' is large,
The views are so grand,
There's lots of red sand,
And the fallout's at no extra charge.
—Janet Hatfield, Riverton
There once was a man named Hinckley
When he smiles his faces gets all crinckly.
He says, "Do your best,
Let God do the rest."
Third placeFourth placeFifth place
